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Post by UltimateTrekker on Feb 1, 2002 13:55:45 GMT -5
After the fabulous Enterprise episode Dear Doctor (don't worry, no spoilers) the Prime Directive is on our minds again.
Now, the Prime Directive was created as an oposition to the Viet Nam war.
However, Roddenberry didn't follow his own advice in episodes such as The Apple, where Kirk disobeyed the directive because the people's culture wasn't developing (playing semantics)
However, the same could be argued for a communistic people (if you played semantics)
In general, I agree with the prime directive. I think it's true that having that thick white and black line is important and that sometimes it's sad, but sometimes it'll help out oodles.
Just look at Autralia. "We want more food, introduce rabbits! AHHH, OK, send in wolves to get rabbits..." (good thing we haven't gone there.)
But, I think it's also save to say that Kirk didn't give a darn about the PD and used the KD (figure it out) instead. Of course, at least he bothered talking himself inot the KD and defending it to Spock. The JD never made sense to me.
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Post by Qab on Feb 1, 2002 22:27:13 GMT -5
I think the Prime Directive is a useful tool for Trek storytelling. I will be interested in if TPTB will have episodes written that will relate the development of the PD to what is happening in the world today. The peoples of many countries do not like how "Americanism" is insinuating itself into their cultures (I mean, the French even have "L'Academie Française" to ensure that American words are not adopted into the French language) and, like a weed, squeezing out the native ethnicity. I think we have seen a bit already in Enterprise, especially when T'Pol tries to counsel Archer that "Earther's ways" aren't necessarily always the best ways.
Otherwise, I enjoy the PD when it has a supporting role in an episode, but not as much as when it has the (only) starring role.
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Post by Zeph on Feb 1, 2002 23:47:43 GMT -5
She said it better than I could,...dang I love it when she speaks French!!!!.....anyway what I think we areseeing is the founding of the PD on enterprise
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Post by Christina on Feb 2, 2002 5:09:43 GMT -5
The Prime Directive is a wonderful ideal, and certainly a good guideline for when we do finally get to visit strange new worlds.
It'd be nice to have it used here too - as a counter to the american-lead Globalisation that's going on, but then what would happen about a 'united earth' ?
There will always be people who sincerely believe that they know what's right for everyone else, with all the best intentions in their hearts. But we also know that is the way to make a road to hell. Because someone else will be there to sincerely believe a totally opposite viewpoint.
Yes, the producers and writers hated the PD when it got in the way of their story, and would smash it with a large iron mallett whenever it suited them, but as an overriding premise of Trek - It WORKS.
Hey, we're even discussing it's merits. That's got to be worth something.
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Post by Elric3960 on Feb 3, 2002 1:50:29 GMT -5
Interesting that we're talking about something that was a thorn in my adolescent and post adolescent side regarding Kirk's disregard for something that was supposedly the UFP's highest law!
I can only think of 5 eps where Kirk didn't get the chance to "louse up" the normal cultural development of alien cultures and in 4 of them, he was overruled by intervention of "superior beings." The remaining one was Bread & Circuses where he encountered a 20th century Roman culture that was too dangerous for even him to interfere with.
Maybe the "rules were made to be broken" mentality of the '60's is what dates this show more than its sets and costumes.
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Post by Christina on Feb 3, 2002 5:46:57 GMT -5
does the Churchill wave love and peace, man
Possibly rebellion. Also communications took days with StarFleet, so he was on his own.
But mainly the US obsession with 'our culture is Right and the rest of you pinkos are Wrong' - (not just then too.........)
Kirk's attitude was very wild west Sheriff come to clean up the bad town of it's outlaws.
Remember how annoyed he was when the Organians interfered? (Balance of Terror) Tee Hee!
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Post by Elric3960 on Feb 4, 2002 1:44:10 GMT -5
^^^My point exactly regarding the Organians, my dear. He was also ticked off with the Excalbians for handing out Life & Death as a classroom exercise on Good & Evil, the Metrons testing the Federation and the Gorns for the same reasons and Trelayne for behaving like a bratty kid with an ant farm. He did manage to successfully cause the destruction of Korob & Sylvia in "Catspaw," corrupt the Andromedans in "By Any Other Name," shame the Vians of Minara in "The Empath," and disrupted a large number of cultures throughout the galaxy for the selfish reason of protecting his ship!
Not bad for 3 years work!
And remember, I still love this series.
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Post by Peter_Pevensie on Feb 4, 2002 22:13:01 GMT -5
...Kirk's attitude was very wild west Sheriff come to clean up the bad town of it's outlaws... Not surprising for a show that was intended to be "Wagon Train to the Stars."   Please, please, please don't get me started on "globalization" and the alleged cultural amoeba that is America. I'm a cultural Darwinist (as in "survival of the fittest") and I doubt my opinions would make any of you like me any more than you already do. ;D |
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Tpol
NCC 1701
Space is Very Big Captain.....
Posts: 74
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Post by Tpol on Feb 17, 2002 6:21:18 GMT -5
Dear Doctor
This episode was rather educational as far as humans go and highlights the problems intereference has on the natural course of other human cultures. Many times in the past and still now are the West Interfering with the natural development of others. I hope people learn from what Star Trek has to offer us, and then there will be less chance of having wars, this includes the 'holy' one we are having at the moment.
A bit intense but needed to be said.
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Post by Christina on Feb 17, 2002 7:06:54 GMT -5
Right on, sister ^^^
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Post by Peter_Pevensie on Feb 19, 2002 8:03:57 GMT -5
Can't believe I missed this one earlier... ...But mainly the US obsession with 'our culture is Right and the rest of you pinkos are Wrong' - (not just then too.........) Your point being? ;D 8) One of my best friends is what he calls a "cultural Darwinist..." You figure it out. |
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Post by Zeph on Feb 21, 2002 9:54:59 GMT -5
I dont know why I am thinking of this except something tells me this is either a good point or the nyquil is working over time. did anyone ever see the movie The gods must be crazy,
Its this wonderful movie where a coke can falls on a primitive tribes man and the whole movie revolves around this poor guy trying to return the can to the Gods(I belive the can was tossed out of a airplane)
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Post by UltimateTrekker on Feb 21, 2002 10:20:58 GMT -5
I was just thinking of that move the other day! It was a bottle by the way. He finally finds a cliff that he can's see the bottom so he figures it's heaven and throws the bottle over... There are MANY religious implicatiosn here that I will NOT get into  |
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Post by Zeph on Feb 21, 2002 10:54:21 GMT -5
Sorry UT...It was a bottle....darn Nyquil  |
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Post by Elric3960 on Feb 22, 2002 4:24:48 GMT -5
^^^Honest mistake, Zeph.
I too have fond memories of that wonderful film. The concept that an object of commercialism could introduce greed and avarice to a culture that never experienced it before is just a sample of the subtle symbolism that UT is probably referring to. A future permanent fixture in my video library.
I intentionally avoided "The Gods Must Still Be Crazy." How could they possibly top the first film?
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